ImprovBoston Review

Proud of a theater that can take a stand against exclusion

They have a wide variety of shows and they are all hilarious! The best place in Boston to go for a live show

Whether you're looking for solid veteran comedic performances, a showcase of the developing talent of future improv stars in Boston, polished scenes that you won't believe are made up on the spot, or experimental forms of comedy, ImprovBoston has you covered. I've seen some incredible (INCREDIBLE) you-had-to-be-there shows at this fun venue that have left me sore and parched from laughing so hard. A truly great place to check out improv, sketch, and stand up. Thoroughly recommend!

Went to the Halloween space Odyssey "Gore fest" on Saturday night. Paid SIXTY dollars for two tickets. Biggest waste of money of my entire life. This should be more accurately called "5th grade Halloween musical." The whole thing was basically just weird singing. Didn't laugh/couldn't even bring myself to chuckle even a single time. I know comedy is subjective but I couldn't even see from any view point how this was supposed to be funny. So bad. Would have left halfway through except we weren't allowed to leave after it started. 0 out of 5 stars. Wish I could get my money back.

Enrolled in a class here and missed the few session due to work travel. I wasn't allowed to attend the following sessions and was not given any form of refund or discount on future classes.

Fantastic theater and wonderful community. They have a strong commitment to providing a safe and welcoming atmosphere with their shows and classes.

Tonight I paid $18 to see a Trump supporter get kicked out of a mediocre impov show simply for voicing his opinion, and then for cruel jokes to be made about him and his family. I will never be returning to Improv Boston. Talk about safe spaces, I thought Improv Boston would be one, but sadly, it was not. Props to the man who stood up for what he believed in. I did, too, when I walked out of the show early. If only I could get a refund for my wasted time and discomfort.

Been to many shows there...sketch, improv, stand-up. I've never been disappointed. Convenient to get to (I live near Central Square), nice staff, good set up. Worth seeing a show. A fun night out for a group.

Great theater. The Mainstage is a wonderful show. Try a Buzz Bar

Had the worst time ever here! Got kicked out for what someone thought was a racist comment. Coming from a biracial group and family we most definitely are not racist. And instead of discussing it and understanding it a group of 26 got kicked out without reimbursement. Never again, terrible customer service and poor execution of solving a problem.

Shows for everyone 5 nights a week! Great community feel.

This place has consistently funny and daring comedy, and the community around it is super inclusive and supportive. Would recommend to everyone! Don't just go, take their classes!

I usually get nervous that improv performers will mess up but I never felt that here. We saw their mainstage performance and it was fantastic! Plus the cheap drinks makes this a great night out.

My wife and I attended the Naked Comedy Show on our visit to Boston. It was fun, the nudity is not vulgar and the comedians were funny.

Had a great time taking my daughters and some of their friends to this. They had a blast learning about Improv. The workshop was about an hour follow by a show (with some audience participation). The shows was very family friendly. A really different way to spend an afternoon.

Really fun venue to spend the night with friends and family. Our group went here for a bday and we all had a blast. The show was hilarious, engaging, and overall just a bunch of fun and laughter. The small bar and snacks available were great (beer, wine, chips, m&m s, etc) and the performance was wasn t too long or short in length; it was just right. I highly recommend this venue if you re looking for something fun to do in town, either for the whole family or a night out with friends (all ages friendly).

Definitely go to the mainstage shows! They're hilarious!

ImprovBoston is good at what they do - the shows I have seen have been engaging and super funny! Not to mention, I had to reschedule seeing a show multiple times and the customer service was speedy and friendly. Go ImprovBoston!

I go to IB shows regularly and they are consistently awesome. IB is also an incredible collective of artists and performers -a super welcoming community.

I went with friends last weekend (Friday 8pm show) and couldn't stop laughing. The performers were energetic and encouraged crowd interaction without pressuring anyone. Extremely talented group - and the very reasonable drink prices were a pleasant surprise!

Took Improv classes in 2013. $1200 for a year or so. Stayed with the same group class to class which was extra helpful.

Saw a show in 2016 with a date and the house staff was extra helpful.

Convenient (right next to central station) affordable tickets, good seats, and welcoming hosts.

I like laughter. This is one of the best places to purchase laughter. If laughter is what you're looking for look no further! Scientists say it's best to spend your money on experiences not material possessions and you can experience laughter with the purchase of participating tickets here!

Fun night out, good for a date, with friends or coworkers.

Wonderful theater overflowing with talent, positive vibes and hilarious people. Highly recommend for classes & shows!

Extremely rude staff. Can't speak to the quality of the shows, since it was sold out, but the staff member who chided our timing certainly left a sour taste in my mouth. Won't be back.

Great shows 5 nights a week! I recommend any and all of them.

We went to the New Years Eve family show at 4PM on the 31st. It was beyond bad. It was abysmal. Improve Boston should be embarrassed and ashamed. Simply dreadful.

It was dark (and it was a kids show) and there was no talent. Please don t make me pay and travel to Cambridge for an entirely amateur show.

Pretty good. Feel the $10 feels a little pricey for the Harolds night but not unreasonable.

Boston comedy wouldn't be the same without ImprovBoston. Great place to catch new talent or see some improv/standup/sketch veterans kill night after night. Always enjoy my time there, performing, learning, and watching.

Really great experience here with my friend during a Mainstage for the first time the actors were hilarious and they were extremely good at engaging the audience in the skits and making sure that people had some voice in what the next act would be. Had me laughing out loud a lot and I didn t expect much but this place blew me away! Would recommend as a night out with friends.

I saw a Harry Potter themed show called Hufflepuffed here three years ago, and it was actually horrible. Firstly, a friend and I were told admission would be free by an organizer, which turned out not to be true. Secondly the show itself was profane and lacking imagination. Not a good experience.

UPDATE: This location no longer possesses a foul odor.

Amazing experience for improv show on Sundays at 6:30 for only 5$. Great team that interact with the public and make them participate. It s funny !

A great place to laugh five nights a week. Tons of shows, all of which are very different, and new content every single time. Easy to get to (right near the Red Line), inexpensive tickets, and friendly people.

My experience was unfortunately quite jarring. Some friends and I had decided to see a show after having read so many good reviews. What I experienced was a shocking display of ignorant stereotypes of people of color, masked behind the guise of comedy. After the show a friend asked the question (playing devil's advocate so to speak,) "Because the medium is comedy, does it free people from accountability?"
We all agreed that it does not. More people are defamed, marginalized, and humiliated under the pretense of comedy, but ultimately for someone else's sadistic pleasure. To see a full white cast depicting African, Asian, etc.. stereotypes is not just offensive, its racist. The sign on the building reads Improv Boston, but is missing the most important message. White's Only Improv Boston.

while technically not located in boston, improvboston offers a healthy dose of humor through an ever-changing lineup of comedy shows. and of course, a little booze makes it that much more fun.

A great way to meet interesting people. A lot of fun for very little money

Upclose and intimate. We had lots of laughs! Beer and snack available for purchase.

Straight down the best and I mean absolute best improv place in Boston. Shows are very reasonably priced (12$-18$). There are multiple shows per night Wed-Sun. Improvisers are really amazing and they have house teams and indie teams and just such a great variety. It's also very close to the T which makes it extremely easily accessible. My first pick for a fun night out!

Ive seen second city live in chicago and boston improv is even better!!!! Love & recommend <3

Garbage, terrible shows, awful classes, and unfair treatment. I was kicked out of the "comedy class" they where teaching out of a closet room backstage for drinking a beer that THEY sold me. These people are con men. Avoid at all costs!

Went here for a New Years Eve show, and had a blast! What a fun way to ring in the new year.

The space is small, which makes the show more intimate. Beer and wine are available to buy and bring in with you, which makes everything funnier. Be prepared to laugh, and maybe even get the chance to come on stage!

Shows are constantly changing, so keep an eye on the schedule. Parking is tricky in the area though, so arrive early to find a spot if you're driving.

Consistently excellent comedy that is daring and yet welcoming to anyone. This is a unique theatre! Couldn t recommend it more highly.

Awesomely fun place to learn and practice improv. Highly recommended!

First time ever going to one of the shows with a very big group it was the worst experience I've ever had. The management here at this establishment suck!!!

LOL!

ImprovBoston is a solid choice for those nights when you want to do something but not get too crazy. Or when you just feel the need to laugh at someone else. Their location in Central is super convenient to get to, and there are so many shows and timing options. When I went for a Mainstage performance on a Friday at 8, it was a more traditional improv show with some audience involvement and numerous different exercises. There was some music involved, a larger cast, and lots of variety. I'm still amazed how they can think so quickly and be so funny doing it!

I also went to a Blackout performance on a Friday at 11, which was like nothing I'd ever experienced. The first act was a pair of performers who couldn't speak, so we could only hear the music and see them acting things out. The second act was a group of performers who we couldn't see (they turned off all the lights in the room and asked us to shut our eyes) so we could only hear their voices. Senseless comedy! Literally. This was so creative and really showcased how skilled the performers are.

There's always something new and entertaining here! Oh and alcohol. $4-5 for quality stuff like Harpoon and Magner's. This definitely makes the comedy funnier. Also make sure to bring along your student ID! Even if you look old! I've been out of college for 2 years now and admitted that to them, but they said that as long as you flash it really fast, everything is A-OK. Student discounts 4 lyfe.

tiny space, which makes the improv more in your face. the performances i have seen there didn't stand out however.

One of the worst scams in town! I enrolled in a comedy class to try and get some experience and knowledge, but instead just got ripped off.
The "Professional comedian" teaching the class works exclusively retirement homes and just gives you 4 minutes of stage time. For a 2 hour class most of it is filler (like get to know me games from kindergarten) and they kicked a few people out WITHOUT A REFUND for arbitrary reasons; Such as consuming the alcohol THEY SELL YOU AT THE FRONT DOOR during the class. Ive never seen a "show" here but based on the caliber of their staff I would say just stay home!

My favorite place to be in Cambridge the staff is great and they have some amazing talent. Check out mainstage or all access

This is one of my favorite comedy theaters in the country and a great community. I especially recommend the classes and mainstage shows

The new comedy school manager is very rude and unprofessional. If you re a working professional don t bother trying to enroll in classes. These classes are for full time students only. If any unforeseen events come up and you re unable to attend a class they are terrible at putting you in for make up classes and then refuse to work with you after you ve missed two classes. Waste of money.

Always a fun time! If you go and don't laugh I'm not sure that you're alive.

I enjoy this small improv theater. I live in the neighborhood so I really appreciate having a place to come in every few months for a laugh. I also think it is awesome that they have a free show after there late show - around 1130 I believe. I have been here numerous times and have had some hearty laughs all but one time - when I made the mistake of coming during a geek themed show. I am appaarently not as big of a geek as I thought. Anyhow, they have decent drinks (harpoon beers) for decent prices to round out the experience.

If you haven't been to ImprovBoston in the thirty years it's been open, then today is a perfect day to make your first trip over! IB has been a staple of the Boston comedy scene since 1982. They offer shows Wed-Sunday nights displaying talented improvisers, stand ups, and sketch performers. They also offer classes in all three as part of their comedy training center. I've taken a stand up class there and it was so much fun!

They have a bar that serves beer and wine. The staff is friendly and can help recommend a show based on your comedy needs or a beer if you're unfamiliar with Harpoon.

Really creative comedy in a very small and intimate setting. Make the stager higher!

Battle Royale last night was brilliant layered hard chop cuts of real just what we all need to hear for a good laugh! Thank you!

This is a great place to see a variety (stand-up, improv, sketch) of live comedy acts. Their programming is always changing so it seems like there is always something for everyone. Huge fan of their Mainstage show and the Face Off show!! Go check it out!